Mysterious as the Void
by Zoegurl49
Summary: Percy Jackson has done everything he could to earn Athena's approval.But not even going above and beyond the greatest hero is enough for her. He barely escapes with his life. And is still caught. There's no one to help him now.
1. Chapter 1

**This is A LIFE AS MYSTERIOUS AS THE VOID. I didn't really like the first version I made. If you haven't read it yet that's fine. It doesn't correspond to this story. But you can still read it if you want. **

**Thanks so much to: **

**greek-ac-thalassa**

**Starblade176**

**FaTaLClanWii**

**I don't own PJO. But in a way I'm kind of glad so I can just read them and not stress about writing them… ANYWAYS, the first chapter!**

**Thalia POV**

The moon was out and shining when the Hunters and I arrived at Camp Half Blood three weeks ago. Lady Artemis had told us to come here since Zeus sent her on a solo mission. At first we tried to convince her to bring us with her, but she refused to. We were upset by that, but orders are orders. We had just stepped over the borders and were heading to the Big House when Annabeth came over and attacked me with a hug.

"Thalia! Thank the gods you're here. Percy has been gone for almost a year and I'm really worried. I know he's completing the Labors of Heracles, but I didn't think it would take him this long. So I really need some support at the moment. It's so good to have you back!" she said with her grey eyes slightly dull. After Percy had been separated from Annabeth in the Giant War for 8 months, she is much more protective over him and closely monitors him. I know it's been driving him insane.

And then a yell was heard from the top of the hill.

"Annabeth, you have to tell him tomorrow night! He just Iris Messaged me saying that he finished all the labors and will be coming back to camp tomorrow. Do you want a random camper or worse, Tristan telling him that you've been cheating? We can't afford for Percy to be pissed at all of us, the camp doesn't deserve to be punished for your carelessness, stupidity, and gods forbid your emotions," I sneered.

"You don't think I know that? It isn't like I want to hurt his feelings. I would've just IMed him saying we're over so that he can stop his trials from my mom, but I kept chickening out and with all we've gone through it didn't seem proper or considerate enough. I may not love him anymore, but I still care." Is it me or did she seem to wince when she said that she didn't love him anymore?

"Whatever. But if he finds out before you tell him, I'm siding with him. I still don't exactly _approve_ of your new relationship. No offense, but Tristan is a complete jerk." I told her very matter-of-factly.

She stared at the floor of the Zeus cabin which was currently unoccupied except for us. It was dark outside since it was a new moon and I could see the stars through the windows. We were whisper fighting since Nico was just a cabin away and we didn't want to alert the harpies or Chiron of our secret meeting. Annabeth was beside herself with worry and anxiety. Purple bags could be seen underneath her eyes since she couldn't sleep, trying to think of what to say when Percy comes back. And her hair was a rat's nest. On second thought, it's always like that but it's been getting worse since she started dating Tristan.

Tristan Baylor, the thought of him makes me want to spit. He's a recently claimed son of Apollo who looks like a son of Poseidon with the black unruly hair and sea green eyes. If Apollo hadn't claimed him, we all would've sworn he was Percy's long lost brother. But the difference between the look a likes is that Percy is kind, loyal, sometimes moody, but an overall good person whereas Tristan just doesn't like anyone (unless you're a girl) and complains about camp life. The only redeeming quality about him is that he saved Chiron from an attack by a random dracaena that had snuck up behind the two and managed to seriously injure one of the centaur's legs. We were surprised Chiron got injured at all since he usually has super senses.

Percy left a year ago to complete the Labors of Heracles which Athena forced him to do if he wanted to even think about taking Annabeth's hand in marriage. I thought it was unfair of her considering that he's already gone above and beyond what Heracles ever did for her, but I can't exactly argue with a goddess of wisdom. About a month ago after Percy left, Tristan showed up on Half Blood Hill with a sword in hand named Owlclaw. Just by the name of his stupid sword, Annabeth assumed that Athena approved of him and began to take interest in him. And all because she thought it would be nice to date someone who actually lived up to her mother's expectations. Two weeks later they officially started dating, much to my horror. It took 5 years before she admitted feelings for Percy! And this guy comes in and they're dating in a month? Something does not add up here.

And now here we are discussing her love life at one in the morning because she can't own up to her actions.

"Why does everyone hate him so much? He's a good guy, really," she protested weakly. He must not act towards her like he does everyone else. Or he just doesn't do it around her.

"Obviously the guy has some good acting skills then. He's rude to all the other campers and isn't exactly as welcoming as he should be towards the newbies. Seriously, Clarisse is nicer to them than he is."

Her eyes widened in shock, "Whoa. It just can't be! He's so sweet and caring and gentle…" her eyes didn't glazed over.

I snapped my fingers in front of her face startling her, "News flash Annie, no one trusts him. And they are starting to all hate your guts too just by dating him. Also, due to the fact that you're betraying the Savior of Olympus."

Tears welled up in her eyes and I felt bad for hurting her feelings. She's supposed to be my best friend, but she has really changed since I last saw her. This is why I'm in the Hunters. Thank the gods I will never have to deal with this kind of stuff. It's just too confusing and no matter what you choose, someone ends up with a broken heart. Love is way too complicated for me. Annabeth started to shake and I went and sat beside her and put my arm around her shoulder sighing.

"Listen, just sit the Kelp Head down and tell him gently that you're breaking up with him. And try avoiding Tristan at all costs before that so Percy doesn't accidentally walk in on you two kissing or something. That would be our worse case scenario. Now take your Yankee's cap and go back to your cabin and get some sleep."

She stood up and walked towards the door. Before she stepped out she turned back to me and said, "Thanks Thals, it really means a lot to me that you're helping." Then she frowned and looked around herself warily as if checking to see someone was watching her. "Thalia," she whispered, "I really need to talk to you tomorrow night. It's extremely important. It's about my…little situation." She gave a quick smile then disappeared. Flopping back onto my bed I thought to myself, _That girl is going to be the death of me._

I woke up the next morning with a sense of dread and happiness. Percy was coming back! And he's about to get his heart broken. I love the guy and I really hope he'll overcome the pain. Quickly I put on my Hunter's outfit and stepped out of the Zeus cabin. Giving a nod to Hazel as I walked by, I jogged to the Artemis cabin where the rest of the Hunters were waiting.

I should give an explanation about Hazel first. Ever since the end of the Giant War, the Romans and Greeks have combined the camps. You can still travel from camp to camp by boat, much to the Romans dismay, but it's the fastest way to get there. Anyways, Hazel along with Frank decided to stay at Camp Half Blood so that they could be with Percy and Nico. Sadly, Jason stayed with the Romans since he is still praetor. Piper left her sister Lacey in charge of the Aphrodite cabin and went with him, but Leo stayed behind since he wasn't exactly fit for the strict lifestyle of the Romans. And Reyna also stayed at the Roman camp where she too is praetor. But she was really upset when she found out that Jason chose Piper over her. I almost convinced her to join the Hunters but she's too loyal to Camp Jupiter and Lupa.

As soon as I entered the Hunter's cabin, I was barraged with a single question by Phoebe and several others. "Where were you last night?"

"Chill out I was helping a friend in need. Don't worry it was a girl," I added when I caught their glares, "Ready for breakfast?" I shouted.

They all shouted yes and got in line except for Phoebe who rolled her eyes at me because of my oh so subtle change in subject. She gave me one last look before stepping behind me in line. When we got to the pavilion I snuck a peek at the Athena table and noticed that Annabeth was trying hard not to look at Tristan who was staring at her. I smiled to myself. _Good, let her be wary._

I spent the rest of breakfast just talking and laughing with my sisters. Near the end, Chiron stood up and stomped his hoof on the marble floor. "Settle down children! First of all I'd like you all to give a warm goodbye to the Hunters of Artemis who will be leaving since Lady Artemis has completed her mission. Our last game of Capture the Flag will be on Friday. And secondly, one of our campers will be returning tonight from his quest."

"Who is it Chiron?" someone shouted from the Hermes cabin.

"Percy Jackson," he said with a smile, "Annabeth, Thalia, Nico, Hazel, Frank I'm sure you will want to be on the welcoming committee?" I noticed Tristan shooting Annabeth a look of confusion and she went pale. She ran off before Chiron could release us. Chiron turned to me with a questioning expression and I silently pleaded to him to let me talk to her. He nodded and I whispered to Phoebe to have the Hunters go through the regular activities and took off running.

I eventually found her on the beach with her head in her hands, crying. "He will hate me! I know it! He'll never forgive me once he knows that I've been cheating on him! I CAN'T WIN."

"Annabeth," she jumped when I said her name, ", you don't know that Tristan or Percy will hate you. First off, Tristan may already know and he just hasn't told you. It's pretty obvious. I mean seriously, all of the pictures in the Big House? He'd have to be stupid if he hasn't guessed already. And Percy will probably, maybe, eventually, forgive you since he's just too nice. He should know by now that people change. Now let's go get you cleaned up and ready for the big speech you're going to have to give tonight." I held out my hand and she took it gratefully. I took her back to my cabin to get ready so no one would stare at her, which is more than she deserves in my opinion, and helped prepare her little monologue for her soon to be ex boyfriend, one of my best friends. I'm a terrible person.

**Aww no you're not Thals, just a good friend! **

**So what'd you all think? It's time like these when I wish I was a mind reader. It's just an awesome super power! **

**Read and review pretty please with nectar and ambrosia on top! It means a lot. :) Thanks everyone! If I get 5 or more I will update tomorrow!**

**-Zoe**


	2. Chapter 2: A Quest

****As promised, I would update if I got 5+ reviews. So this is me keeping promises! Whoo second chapter! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED AND ALERTED AND FAVORITED. YOU ARE THE BEST.****

****Annabeth POV****

Listen, it isn't like I__wanted__ to cheat on Percy Jackson.

****Percy POV****

I breathed in the fresh air and gazed down on Camp Half Blood, my home. Which made me remember that I needed to check on my mom and Paul because I haven't seen them since they adopted this adorable 10 year old girl named Echo. She's about 4 ½ feet tall with chocolate brown hair, hazel eyes, and tan skin. She's also very gangly. My mom and Paul adopted her from an orphanage in New York after her parents perished in a fire. Echo is so sweet though and doesn't seem to be very bitter. She's a naturally peppy person and even though we've only met once, she already calls me "big brother". I really love her and she's happy with my parents.

Anyways, it looks the same at Camp Half Blood. It's like I never left which means nothing bad happened. That's good to know. I opened and closed the box in my hands out of nerves as I walked down the hill and stopped at the Big House to let know Chiron that I had returned. I was back early and wanted to surprise everyone.

"Chiron, Mr. D, I'm back!" I shouted as I stepped in. I found the pair playing pinochle with some satyrs, one of them being Grover.

"Blahahaha! Percy you're here! I've missed you so much. Ever since I was made Lord of the Wild I don't ever get to see you," he said as attacked me with a bear hug. Or is it goat hug? Anyways, for a tiny guy he gave me a huge hug. He was a little taller than the last time I had seen him and his horns were even bigger. A lot of his acne was gone since he was getting older and his beard was longer. He was wearing a brown shirt that said Someone Got Your Goat? It was really good to see Grover again. I've been lonely without my best friend.

I laughed, "It's good to see you too G-Man, but you're killing me here." He pulled away quickly.

"Oh, sorry about that. Have you, um, seen Annabeth yet?" he asked me warily and glanced at Chiron who eyed him back. Something's wrong, and they aren't telling me. I hate being left out of the loop.

"Guys, what's going on? I know you're keeping a secret. And you're going to have to tell me all about it later because I am way too tired and ready to see all of my friends."

I jogged out the front door and, regretfully, didn't hear Chiron calling me back inside. I then went to the Poseidon Cabin to freshen up a bit before I proposed. Annabeth and I have been dating for the past 2 years or so and we couldn't be better. I'm still going to Goode and Annabeth is at Baxter's ****(I made it up. Is it a real school? I don't know.) ****She and I are going to NYU together when we graduate. Originally, I was supposed to go to my father's palace to train more before I had to prove myself to Athena, but that time came too quickly. I was only given several days warning as to when I was leaving. I told everyone I was just going to be doing the Labors of Heracles since I thought that was what I was going to be doing. Heh, if only.

__I was in the woods, walking Mrs. O'Leary. I wasn't too far behind her since she was so easy to track. My only worry is if she shadow traveled away and THEN I'd panic. We had just crossed the boundary over the creek and I became tense. I sensed a presence, something strong. I looked around me and it took a minute before I registered the WHOO that came out from above me. I looked up to see a black owl with analyzing gray eyes stare at me. It looked intelligent, extremely intelligent. Not to mention it's 3 in the afternoon. Ah crap…__

__I switched my gaze to a random tree while Athena changed into her regular form. I saw a blinding flash light out of my peripheral vision and then black hair and a white toga.__

__"Athena," I bowed my head respectively, "what are you doing here? I'm not trying to be rude," I said quickly.__

__"Perseus," I could feel her eyes scanning me, "if you wish to date my daughter, I need you to perform the Labors of Heracles. I want you to prove yourself. I know you've already done so much for Annabeth, but if you truly love her I need you to do even more. Show me that you're willing to do anything to keep her. If you do this, I give you my permission and blessing to do whatever you want. Whether it date her, marry, anything. Just perform whatever I tell you," with every word she seemed to get closer to me until we were standing inches apart. She absolutely radiated power. In that moment alone she scared me more than Gaea and Kronos combined. Sure they had awesome superpowers and were ruthless killers, but Athena would never stop until I was dead if I upset her. Ever. As Annabeth would say, she's the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy. Don't make her mad. You'd be stupid to.__

__"Yes ma'am. I can do that. But I thought you weren't going to test me until winter break when I wasn't in school," I whispered to her.__

__"Always catch the enemy before they're expecting you. Surprise, Perseus."__

__I swallowed nervously and nodded. Did she really just call me the enemy?__

__She nodded curtly, "Good. Now you have 1 day until you leave. Say your goodbyes then you must be at Half Blood Hill at 10 until midnight of tomorrow. If you're not there, then I see it as you've given up. Goodbye Perseus. Remember what I said," then flashed away again after I'd turn away.__

__Sighing, I called for Mrs. O'Leary who came bounding to me and her tongue was lolling out. Walking slowly back to camp, I planned what I was going to tell my friends. What I was going to tell Annabeth. This was not going to be easy.__

_…_

__I left a note on Annabeth's bunk saying, "__

__Meet me at the beach.__

__Our usual place.__

__7 o'clock.__

__Love,__

__Seaweed Brain__

"

__I did it while she was at archery with the rest of her cabin. It took me awhile to decide on how to get her to where I wanted to tell her, so it was 5 when I had snuck in. I was almost caught by Malcolm who had forgotten his grip on his bow. I had to duck underneath one of the bunks so he wouldn't see me. It would just be my luck to have that happening. I held my breath as I watched him go back and forth. Thank the gods I hadn't put down the note yet since he would've surely noticed it, therefore ruining the surprise. I would've told him, but the Athena campers aren't known for their acting skills.__

__After breathing out the air I held, I crawled out from underneath the bed and ran to my cabin to plan my speech to her and everyone else. The scent of the sea immediately calmed me down and I took out a pen and pad. After wasting a half hour trying to decipher everything I wrote with my dyslexia, I threw the pad down in frustration and decided to wing it. I used the rest of the time to grab a bed sheet, basket, and some food from the kitchen much to all of the harpy's displeasure and setting up our picnic. I just hoped it wasn't all too cheesy, Annabeth isn't that kind of girl.__

__I reached our hidden cave in the sand dunes. It faces the beach and was secluded from the camp. It was in front of the woods so we didn't have too many spies. (Dryads). Once I set it all up, I started pacing in anticipation. Five minutes was all it took before I decided to take a quick swim while I waited or else I'd go insane. The water was crystal clear and slightly chilled due to the fact that it was around September. There were so many different kinds of fish that I was lost in an array of colors.__

__After resurfacing I saw Annabeth sitting on the blanket and she was staring off into the distance, clearly thinking very hard. She was hugging her knees and wasn't paying attention to anything around her. She wore a simple orange Camp Half Blood tank top and denim shorts with her battered tennis shoes. Her hair was in her traditional messy ponytail and the only make up she wore was a clear lip glosl. And I thought she never looked more beautiful. Out of the blue she said, "Come out Seaweed Brain. You've been staring long enough," and smirked at me.__

__I blushed before grinning and swimming back to where she was and getting out of the water. "Hey Wise Girl ready for our date?"__

"__Definitely," she stood up and kissed me lightly on the lips, teasingly. I felt the familiar sparks and brain melting I usually get whenever we kiss. It never fails to leave me breathless either.__

__I lead her back to the blanket and started setting up all of the food. I'd taken Coke, our favorite, strawberries fresh from the fields, grapes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and for dessert we had Oreos like from when we went to get Zeus' lightning bolt in the animal truck.__

__We joked and talked while we ate and I knew eventually I'd have to tell her that I was going to be leaving. And I didn't know when I'd be back.__

__We lay on our backs staring at the stars and I started out nervously saying, "Um…Annabeth?"__

"__Mmhmm?" she murmured.__

"__I'm leaving."__

__Her eyes flew open and she sat up straight, "What! What do you mean by leaving? Percy, tell me everything now."__

__Quickly and stammering a little I told her about my meeting with Athena in the woods. She seemed a little ticked by the end of it. But also a little giddy. Probably due to the fact that I basically admitted I planned on proposing.__

"__So let me get this straight, she wants you to go away and leave for gods knows who long," the sky above us rumbles, "ok so the gods don't know how long.___**__**___But why is my mom doing this? Why put us in more danger? Ugh it just ruins everything! She baffles me sometimes. But I think it's so sweet that you're going to do all of this for me."__

__I held her tightly to me and kissed her temples. Sighing we just sat there for a while until curfew. When that came I walked her to her cabin and whispered to her, "I'd do anything for you and I don't leave until tomorrow night. We can be together until Wise Girl," kissed her one last time and went to my own cabin where I lay awake, nervous for what's ahead of me. Exhaustion eventually took over and for the first time in a while I didn't dream.__

__The next morning I woke to sunshine which only felt condescending considering what I was going to be doing later on tonight. I sluggishly rolled out of my bunk and threw on some random clothes from the floor. I was way too tired to care. After splashing water on my face to revive me, I went down to the dining pavilion where instead of grabbing my food like normal I went to Chiron to tell him what was happening.__

"__Percy my boy," he said with surprise, "what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be eating?"__

"__Yes but I need to tell you something. I'm going on a quest of sorts for Athena. She's making me perform the Labors of Heracles to prove myself to her. I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't worry when I disappear suddenly tonight. Go ahead and tell the other campers if you want. Just tell them I'm going on a solo quest or something," I shrugged.__

"__Well I wish you luck and hope for the best," he said then leaned down to hug me. Centaur hugs are so awkward. I sat back down and ate breakfast like normal after getting curious stares from the other campers who wanted to know what I was talking to Chiron about.__

__Then Chiron stood up and stomped his hoof, "Attention campers! Percy Jackson is to go on a solo quest for Athena. It is not determined when he will be back but wish him the luck and may the gods go with him." I smiled at him and went back to eating, trying hard to ignore all the whispers coming from behind me. I went through the motions of the rest of the day, sucking at archery, acing canoe racing and the climbing wall, almost beating the dryads at foot racing, and kicking Clarisse's butt at sword fighting. Just an average day at camp. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Annabeth in my cabin since she was helping me pack, nothing else you creepers.__

__But eventually that ended and we just went to the beach and sat there, enjoying each other's company. We were silent for a long time until Annabeth spoke up. "I'm going to miss you, you know?" she whispered.__

"__Don't think I'm going to enjoy being away from you either."__

"__Well don't be gone too long, kay?" she turned towards me, tears glittering in her eyes.__

"__I won't," and gave her a reassuring smile. She was being much quieter than normal so I was trying to comfort her. It was upsetting her much more than I thought it would.__

__When it was around 11:30, Chiron let us break curfew for once, I gave her a last hug and felt her crying on my shoulder. "Don't worry I'll be back before you know it Annabeth. You'll hardly notice I'm gone."__

"__You promise?" she asked me a little unsteadily.__

"__Promise," and gave her a lingering kiss that I hope conveyed all my feelings for her, and walked to the border.__

__Ten minutes later Athena appeared. "Good evening Perseus. I see that you're on time for once. Are you ready? Oh and to make things more difficult for you, not only do you have to complete all the Labors, you have to complete one personal quest from the each of the Olympians. And they aren't easy."__

"__WHAT!" I shouted before vanishing in a bright white light.__

****Love you all,****

****-Zoe****


	3. Chapter 3 Hades Request I'm Back Kinda

****I'm baaaaaaaaack (sorta)! Thanks to all who reviewed and favorite/alerted!****

****I've had a bit of writer's block so I haven't updated. I'm so sorry! It's just a blank. But here's a preview before I finish. I might start doing this for each chapter…****\

****Don't own PJO or HoO.****

****Percy POV****

__It took 6 months to complete the 12 Labors of Heracles. Since, unfortunately, I had to wait for some of the monsters I had already killed during the wars to reform. It took a while for them to come back from Tartarus. I was glad that Athena excused me from some of the tasks since they could only be completed in the Labyrinth which was destroyed courteous by yours truly, kind of. By then I was ready to go home. I missed my family, my friends, and my girlfriend. After I had just captured Cerberus, I took pity on him and started playing fetch with a red rubber ball since I knew he liked those after seeing him emaciate the last one.__

__Cerberus was bounding towards me when Athena appeared again.__

"__Perseus, it seems as if you've outdone yourself once again. But you're not finished yet." She smiled cruel and knowingly. "You can count the labors as the personal quest from me, but the other gods have yet to appoint you your next task. The first god you must please is Hades. You're already in the Underworld so you will start here to not waste time. He will tell you where to go next and so on until the last one. Once you have done this, you may return to camp. Good luck Perseus Jackson," and disappeared in a white hot light. Hopefully that'd be last time I see her for a long time. The ADHD part of me wondered where she goes when she leaves, probably the library. SHUT UP AND CONCENTRATE, I told my self before sneaking past the EZ Death line. The spirits did not appreciate me cutting in line and I heard many rude comments gestured towards me.__

__Not too many ghostly guards were chasing me after I made it through. It took forever to get past the Fields of Asphodel with all of the clutter but it helped me purposefully lose myself so they couldn't find me. I didn't want to stop at all in case I saw any familiar faces. After the Second Titan War and the Giant War, who knows who I'd meet again? They shouldn't be here anyways, they deserve Elysium.__

__I finally stopped when I reached the gates to Hades palace. They swung open eerily and I stepped through them cautiously. There is no way that Hades would leave his home unguarded like this. It isn't in his nature. He's naturally paranoid since he always thinks that his brothers are trying to take over his realm, even though it isn't possible. I of all people should know at least a couple Ancient Laws.__

__The entire garden was quiet and the emerald trees shone despite there not being any light overhead. I looked around to get my bearings and was on edge until I ended up at my uncle's throne and saw him sitting there stoically.__

__"My Lord," I said while kneeling.__

__"Rise nephew. So I have a job for you-,"__

__"Percy!" a young voice called out.__

__"Nico! What's up Death Breath?" I smirked at him. He was in his usual aviator's jacket, silver skull ring, messy hair, dancing skeleton shirt, and black baggy jeans. He looked pale, probably from being in the Underworld so long, and really hyper. That's what happens when you leave a demigod alone with no one to spar with for too long. His eyes shone and it reminded me of when I first met him, the kid who played Mythomagic.__

__"Absolutely nothing, it's boring down here," he whispered conspiratorially, "How are things up above?"__

__"Good, or at least they were when I left. Honestly I have no clue. For all I know, we could be at war and I wouldn't even know. I've been so detached from the world lately. Once I finish all of these quests, I'll make sure to properly catch you up on all the drama at camp."__

__Hades looked bored, "Are you two girls done gossiping yet? If you are then here is your job. I need you to aid us in Minos Rebellion. We are very close to winning and need only a little more help if we want to win. Once we defeat him then you can continue your tasks. It should only take a few weeks before it's all over with."__

__I held in a groan. I don't want to wait a few weeks! I was hoping for a few days at the most until I went to see the next god. But honestly I'm not surprised. Athena will never let me choose the comfortable path in life. I swear on the River Styx, cue rumble and rocks falling, that she enjoys seeing me suffer. And she's supposed to be my future mother-in-law? More like monster-in-law. But I just have to keep on repeating the same mantra in my head. Do it for love, do it for freedom, do it for Annabeth...__

__"Yes Uncle. Where will I stay while I am in the Underworld? You can't exactly keep me in the cells like you did before. My father would not be happy with you if you tried doing that," I said trying and failing to sound innocent. It must've been the snickers I was holding in and the smirk on my face.__

__He sighed heavily, "Very well, you can share a room with Nico. It should accommodate the two of you. Nico, tell Percy the everyday regimen he must maintain while he stays here. Meet me here tomorrow at noon." Then he vanished in a cloud of black shadows. I looked up at the castle and saw a curtain move. Was someone spying on us? I frowned.__

__"Is that Persephone upstairs? I know I saw a person up there."__

__"Persephone?" he scoffs, "Are you kidding me? She leaves us at the first sign of spring. She's up above probably dancing in a meadow or something right now. Seriously, it's happened before. We Iris Messaged her and saw her doing that. It was shocking to say the least. She's usually so dark and moody then all of sudden, prancing. It was just plain weird." As we talked we walked through the rest of the garden until we went around the back and arrived at a wooden door with spikes on the front of it. "Whatever you do, don't trip when walking to this door," he warned.__

__"Point taken," Ha, get it, point taken? It's punny!__

__We stepped through the door which led to a kitchen with black and white checkered marble floors and high vaulted ceilings. There were skeletons in all different kinds of clothing who were milling about cooking. They must've been chefs in their past life. They rushed around everywhere, chattering in their bat language. As we walked down the aisle between the silver tables all of them quieted and bowed to us which made me a little uncomfortable. But I guess that's one of the perks of being the Ghost King.__

__Nico led me to a large foyer that had a chandelier of onyx crystals up above in the middle of the room and candles with black flames on every pillar and wall. It was mesmerizing. The walls were made of a rough, but sparkling, dark gray stone. I found it interesting how there weren't any seams in the rock, as if the palace had been carved instead of built. Annabeth would've had a field day inside of here, the architecture was amazing. After listening to her many conversations about everything she has learned, I recognized some of the different structures.__

"__Wow…" I breathed.__

__Nico turned to face me and smiled, "That was pretty much what I said when I first came here. It never fails to amaze me."__

__Paintings from famous, and dead, artists hung from the ceiling in order from the oldest to the most recent. I saw Van Gogh and Picasso paintings that I knew could only be originals from the fragility of which they looked. The frames looked dull and had lost most of their luster and the paintings were slowly peeling.__

__We arrived at a wide spiral staircase that led to the story above. 10 people could've easily walked up it side by side. At the top there was flooring surrounding the stairs so you could walk behind it. There were 2 doors on each wall. Nico pointed at the one in front of us.__

"__That's our room for the next month. It's really big so don't be worried about having to share space. About the regimen, we have to wake up everyday at 7, clean our rooms by 8, have to be dressed and at breakfast at 9, battle training with the skeletons at 10, then we study in the library. We have math with Einstein, history with whoever lived during that time period, science with Isaac Newton, and literature with Shakespeare. Lunch is at 1, then the rest of the day is ours until dinner at 7, lights out is at 10:30," by the time he finished we were at the door and he twisted the doorknob to let us in.__

"__Seriously, you do this everyday? I thought you just sat around and talked to ghosts all day."__

__He looked offended, "At Camp Half Blood you don't just sit around and talk with friends all day, right? Well, here we are."__

****Yea don't worry, I'm nowhere near finished with this chapter so it will be a lot longer. Umm… review, I guess. What do you think of the chapter so far?****

****LeftoverMeal****

****Starblade176****

****Greek-ac-thalassa****

****You people are freaking awesome!****

****Love you all and thanks again!****

****-Zoe****


	4. Chapter 4:And it Begins

**WHAT. THE. HECK. IS. WRONG. WITH. ME. I have failed you guys. SO so sorry. I thought that with summer I'd have more time to update, but it was more like the opposite. :p**

**Oh my gosh have you seen the cover art for the Mark of Athena and the first chapter. I nearly had a heart attack because it was all so awesome. You guys seriously need to check it out.**

**I don't own Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus. **

_There were two bunks inside the immaculate room. It, like the rest of the palace, was black inside and had torches with Greek fire around the room as the source of light. It reminded me a lot of the Hades cabin back at camp. There was a glass door that led out to a balcony. It gave an extensive view of the Underworld. Thank the gods you couldn't see or hear the Fields of Punishment though. The screams wouldn't be a pleasant sound to wake up to each morning. Wait, how are we supposed to tell time down here?_

_As if reading my mind, Nico said, "We have synchronized watches and clocks down here that Hephaestus created. No matter what, they will always be the same time. It's pretty cool. But then we have no excuses for being late."_

_HI IM JUST A LINE BREAK DON'T MIND ME_

_In the morning I woke up to a loud beeping coming from above me. I just groaned and rolled over in my bed. Suddenly it stopped and I sighed. There was a thump beside me and then someone shouted in my ear, "WAKE UP!" Shouting I fell off the edge and got tangled in my sheets. Nico was already in the bathroom and getting ready by the time I stood up._

_It only took us 30 minutes to finish dressing and clean the room. In the time before breakfast I told him about what I'd been doing and what had been happening at camp before I left. I told him how Katie and Travis finally got together after all of us told them that they liked each other which they acted surprised about. He rolled his eyes at that. It was obvious that they had feelings for each other and just didn't want to admit it. _

_When 8:50 came we decided to go downstairs. At the table, we found Hades sitting at the head with his hands underneath his chin. Nico and I looked at each other questioningly before taking our seats across from each other. Hades sat up straight and started to speak. "Instead of studying, you will be doing battle training and war strategy. When everything is finished, then everything will go back to normal. After breakfast you are to meet me and my second in command in my office." Then just stood up and left._

_Nico looked excited at the idea of not having to go to school for the next few weeks and being able to train. "Well this is new." He said._

"_Yeah, does your dad normally make decisions like that and tell you out of the blue?"_

"_Pretty much. He's not much of a talker." He shrugged and picked up a pancake and some fruit off of the filled table. As we talked about the coming battles, ghosts would silently come and refill our cups or give us what we needed. Can't say I didn't like it. _

"_-and that's why penguins make great cleaners! Ok, we seriously need to leave now. It's already 9:58 and breakfast ends at 10." Quickly we got up and jogged to Hades office. Two giant wooden double doors stood closed in front of us. We stepped inside to find the lord of the dead and a ghost discussing land positions and where to place people._

_Hades looked up at us when they were done talking. "Are you two ready? Good." He said before we could even respond. "This is my second in command Stefan. We are the only two people that you answer to. Now, this is what's happening at the moment…"_

_HI I'M ANOTHER LINE BREAK._

_After a couple of weeks of nothing but war strategy and mock fights, we were ready. Even Nico was itching to go back to his regular schedule since he was so sick of it all. All we talked about was Minos' rebellion and how we could defeat him and his army. It was boring to say the least._

_The day finally came when we were ready to overtake him. Minos' forces were pushed back up to the Fields of Punishment. They had over 1,000 troops and we had only 750. But they were bruised and battered, no good equipment. We were able to get Daedalus on our side and he's constantly updating all of our armor. It's kind of annoying since we're constantly having to learn how to use new weapons. But it's better than nothing._

_I stood on the front line next to Nico and a soldier dressed in a mix of fatigues and celestial bronze armor. Everyone had a shield and at least one kind of weapon on them. All I needed was Riptide with me and I was good. Anything else would slow me down. We stood there waiting for Minos and his army to show up for an hour. We weren't allowed to break ranks on Hades' orders. _

_Eventually we heard them marching toward us and they stopped 100 yards away. Minos was nowhere to be found. Across from us his army all wore tattered clothing and tired but determined expressions. They knew, it was either win this battle or go to the Fields of Punishment. _

_From behind the army a voice yelled, "Attack!" And they started running._

**Short chapter, but I wanted to get something out.**

**Ok I'd like to know if y'all want me to skip all of the other Olympian's tasks and go straight back to present or continue with all of his troubles. Let me know in a review or PM. Thanks!**

**Once again, extremely sorry!**


	5. Chapter 5:And it Begins part 2

**I'm back! Updates may be coming sooner now! Even though school is started, I feel like I have more inspiration now. Perfect, seeing as how I have a mountain load of homework. Thanks high school! Please excuse my terrible fight scenes. I should probably write a love story instead for whatever I start next because this is just sad. **

**I don't own PJO or HoO. Ehrmagerds only several weeks left! **

_Immediately I went for the larger opponents that the others couldn't take on and focused on the fight. Once it all started I lost track of where Nico was but brushed it off since he's fought lots of battles before. _

_The ghost of a man who was at least 6 feet tall with large muscles ran at me wielding a spear. The man looked heavy despite the fact that he was you know, a ghost. I was hoping that would give me the advantage of being lighter and able to move faster. He grunted and lunged towards me, aiming for my stomach. At the same time I stepped aside and slashed at his side. He must be quicker than he seems because he turned away then jabbed again. This time I parried away his spear and slashed across his front. I managed to get him near his ribs and he bellowed in agony. Mist came out of his wounds and floated around me. All the ghosts seemed to do that._

_When he stabbed at my legs I instinctively jumped forwards and landed on the spear which broke it. He looked up surprised that his weapon no longer worked and I took the opportunity to stab him in chest. He dissolved into mist. Who knows where you go after you die again? I couldn't think about it for too long because when I turned around, I saw one of our soldiers struggling to fend off a telekhine. Beads of sweat were already starting to form on her face. I slashed the snarl off of its face just as it was about to smash in her head and it turned towards me with hate in its eyes._

_I somersaulted over his head and stabbed him right after landing. The girl looked at me with gratefulness in her eyes and I just nodded before fighting the next ghost. _

"_AAAH!" A young voice came from my far left just as I was about to kill another opponent. I stopped for a second and it managed to scratch me on my arm. The voice scared me because I immediately recognized whose it was. Ignoring it, I kept on fighting thinking he could handle himself. But I froze when the next scream was heard. "PERCY!" _

"_NICO!" Running through the throng of fighting I ducked and slashed when needed but my ultimate goal was to get to where Nico was. It seemed to take forever but eventually I found him battling with Minos near a cliff. Nico was about to go over the edge in just a few footsteps, there was no way I was going to let that happen. He should've been able to banish him like he did at Hephaestus' workshop but he must have been too tired. Either way I wasn't taking any chances. I couldn't fail the di Angelo's again. _

"_Hey! I thought we were done with you already! Guess we will just have to kill you again. Darn." Minos turned toward me and smiled with insanity in his eyes. Nico scrambled away from the edge while he was distracted. Good, one less worry. _

"_Perseus, it's good to see you again. Really, you didn't have to come all the way to the Underworld for little old me. But since you did, now I get to have the honor and immense pleasure of killing you!" He didn't look little or old to me. Minos looked as he did in my vision from years ago when he was still alive. I could take him._

_Minos took out a long 5 foot Celestial Bronze sword that looked like it could cut with a single touch. On the blade in Greek it said, "This will be your last sight," with a design that made it look like blood was constantly dripping down it. We began circling each other, each waiting for someone to strike. Lessons from Annabeth taught me to never be the first to back down. He watched me with intensity and had a slight hesitance in his step. For some reason, he was trying to hold back._

_After several minutes he growled and ran at me, aiming for my right side. Minos was pretty light on his feet and managed to nick me right before I moved out of the way. I feigned stabbing at his left but ended up parrying his blade away as he brought his sword near my face. It went on like that for a long time until Nico came in and he had to block both of us at the same time. Steam curled off of his face from the exertion. He had a calm look on his face even though he knew that he was losing. Minos left his arm out in the open and I used the disarming technique that Luke first taught me at camp. Minos was weaponless. _

"_Do you have anything left to say?" Nico asked him while pointing his Stygian blade at his chest. _

_Minos looked directly into my eyes and said, "The person in charge wants you to be spared, Jackson. This whole thing, this 'rebellion', was just a warning. I can't wait to see the suffering in your eyes when you return to that little camp of yours. Remember, this is just a warning…" and blew away into the wind that wasn't even there. Nico and I stood there in shock. What. The. Hades. _

**So, yeah. What'd you think? Leave a review or PM me if you have any ideas or suggestions. Thanks! Luckily for you guys, not many fight scenes for a while.**

**-Zoe**


	6. Chapter 6: Gone (revised)

**I edited this chapter a bit. There was just one part where I considered if I was high, even though I don't do drugs, because it sounded so dumb. Seriously, what the heck was I thinking. BACK TO THE PRESENT! **

**Thanks for letting me know your honest opinions! It really helps guys. Y'all are so amazing. **

**I don't own PJO or HoO. **

**Annabeth POV**

Oh gods, oh gods, oh GODS. He's back. Should I just end it all now?

**Percy POV**

I was still confused about what happened in the Underworld, but I shook it off. That can wait. I jogged down to the beach and found Annabeth sitting in the sand, staring at the sea. She looked even more beautiful since the last time I saw her. Her golden curls were blowing in the breeze and I could tell that she was lost in her own world. Yet she looked almost worn down. But this is Annabeth, she can always handle it.

"Hey Wisegirl."

She whipped around and her eyes widened. Then she stood up and hugged me tightly. "Percy. You're back. Thank the gods you're okay." Hugging her again was the highlight of my whole year. It felt that good.

"Yeah it's been a while hasn't it?" She punched my arm and rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah, you're back. I missed you a lot Seaweed Brain." She averted her eyes and stared at her feet, contemplating something.

"I wanted to ask you something," Annabeth looked back at me, "I've known for the past 7 years that somehow, you'd be in my life forever. Now I want to make sure that happens. Annabeth Chase, "I whispered, "will you marry me?" I grabbed the velvet box out of my pocket and got on one knee. "What do you say Wisegirl? Want to build something permanent?"

Instead of jumping in joy or even saying 'yes', she just stood there stiff as a board and her face remained passive. She went pale and it looked like someone was forcing the words out of her mouth. "I'm sorry Percy, I can't."

I'm sure my jaw must've dropped and I babbled something about how I knew we were still really young, still in school, and that it'd be okay if we waited a few more years. She raised one hand and my heart felt like it was about to explode out of my chest.

"No! Not ever Perce. I can't do that to you! It'll just end in death!" she yelled at me.

Now I was seriously confused and stood back up in the sand. "Annabeth! What in HADES are you talking about? It's a marriage proposal, not a death sentence!"

She stared at her flip flops and I had to strain to hear her say, "But it might as well be yours."Then snapped her head back up and covered her mouth, gray eyes wide with horror. She started looking around frantically, searching for something or _someone._ And I just stood there like an idiot.

"What?" There was a flash from behind me. And, if possible, she became even paler. I really wanted to know who was behind me but Annabeth shook her head frantically. _Don't turn around._

"Percy, go. Leave. I don't want to see you again." Her voice took on a harsh tone that surprised me. The only other time I've heard her sound like that is when we fought together in Tartarus and the pit started to take a toll on us. So to hear her speak to me that way really hurt.

"Uh, no." There's no way I'm leaving after she just dropped a bomb like that.

"PERSEUS JACKSON! If you ever loved me you will LEAVE. RIGHT. NOW." She screamed at the top of her lungs and pointed at the water. And for some reason, I obeyed her. I took off running for the tides and heard one last word from Annabeth.

"Mother."

**It's a bit shorter than usual. School, it kinda does this to me. There's no time left for me to do anything during the week. Write a review or PM me letting me know what you think. I may go back and edit this chapter later if it's not to your satisfaction. **

**Oh and I think I'll be posting a one shot soon about the House of Hades! DAT ENDING OF MoA. Asdkfjlkdf That's how I felt. So. Much. PERCABETH FEELS. **

**Zoe**


	7. Chapter 7 Before the Storm

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Once again, sorry for the wait. Y'all are probably tired of hearing that. **

**I don't own PJO or HoO. **

**Annabeth POV**

"Annabeth, what did I tell you?" Athena's anger was red hot and I flinched. Ever since the Giant War and Athena had her personalities split, she hasn't been the same. She's not rational, no longer the wise goddess and mother that I admired.

"I _love_ him mother. Did you honestly expect me to not say anything? I had to give him at least some warning. He deserves that at the very least." I kept on seeing the broken and hurt look on his face when I refused his proposal. I'd do anything to keep him happy and so far I'm the only one who has hurt him. I chuckled without humor.

"What are you laughing at, girl? You know what I have to do now. And you can be with Tristan forever. That's what you want." She said and grinned wickedly.

I gritted my teeth and glared at Athena. "No! That is not even close to what I'm wanting! I want _Percy._ Why can't you accept that? Why don't you care about my happiness? In case you haven't noticed, but these months have been absolutely miserable for me. Seeing Tristan just makes me cringe. He looks like Percy but isn't the real thing."

She waved her hand in the air. "He's close enough!" I really looked at my mother for the first time since I had last seen her sane. She looked like a ghost and had that glint of madness in her eyes that made you want to back away slowly. Athena's usually impeccably braided black hair was a rat's nest and dirty. She's changed so much and the other Olympians have done nothing! You would think they would've at least found someone else to take her place, but instead they sit on their thrones or run around the world and ignore her problem. Sometimes, the gods really infuriate me. Like now for example.

I just started walking away. I was done with all of the arguing and trying to please her. Annabeth Chase is done. Of course she yelled at me the whole time and I ignored it. Campers were staring at me, obviously hearing all of the commotion from the beach. And I didn't care. Let them stare and gossip about me. Nothing really matters to me anymore anyways. Percy is gone, Tristan is still here, and my mother is psycho.

Then I broke down. It finally hit me and everything came crashing down at once. Percy is GONE. Tristan is still in my life. And my mother is an insane and powerful goddess. I ran to the Poseidon cabin, my retreat whenever Percy isn't here, and locked the door behind me while breathing heavily. I crashed on his bed and just cried. My life sucks.

I woke up in Percy's bed. Yesterday I had cried myself out and fell asleep exhausted. I sat up and stretched. I'm sure I looked great with my bedhead, puffy eyes, and wrinkled clothes from the day before. Then the memories from the day before came back. I nearly started crying again but I was all dried up. Light streamed through the window and hit me in the face. The breakfast conch would be blowing soon and everyone will be expecting me and one of my boyfriends walking together.

I had no idea how I was going to explain this to everyone. There was no way that I would be able to begin to talk about how I had made Percy run off into the ocean. Thalia might understand, or she might never be able to forgive me and scream at my face for making her favorite cousin run away. Grover would be shocked. Chiron, he'd be disappointed in me and I think that's worse than Thalia's yelling. Tristan will be there to "comfort" me. And the campers, they'll all just hate my guts. Yay.

I got up and faced the door and let out a heavy breath before opening it. Tristan was standing on the porch in front of me and I jumped.

"Gods! You scared me!" I said.

"You're scared? Where have you been the past 24 hours! I've been looking everywhere for you and asked Chiron to send out a search party but he wouldn't do anything and said to leave you alone. I've been worried sick and I find you here again." I let him ramble and nearly pull his hair out in frustration. I just watched. Why on earth he has put up with all of my erratic behaviors, I'll never know. I'm constantly running off and giving him the cold shoulder. Yet he always comes back. You would've thought he would've gotten the hint that I don't want him. But noooo…

Finally he sighed, "I'm sorry, babe. Are you okay? You look like you've been crying." He hugged me and I stiffened. "And what _are_ you doing in the Poseidon cabin? I find you here all the time but your mother hates him." He held me at arm's length and looked at me curiously.

"Yes, I have been crying and no I'm not telling you why. And just because my mother hates him doesn't mean that I do. In fact, he's one of my favorite gods." I told him coolly.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Ok fine, don't tell me. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to find out." Tristan winked and grinned in what I guess was a charming smile to any other girl at camp, but disgusted me.

"Have fun with that." And I walked back to my cabin without looking back.

Chiron trotted up to me when I was almost there and asked me, "My dear, where is Percy? I would've thought he would be with you." I just kept walking and went inside.

**Percy POV**

To say I'm confused is an understatement. What the Hades happened back there? Annabeth was not acting the way I thought she would. That is not my WiseGirl, at all. I was still dazed when I went underwater and sat there for a while, debating whether or not I should go back to her. Something told me it would be a bad idea to. So I did the next best thing and headed for Atlantis.

The guards at the gates let me in when they saw me. "Welcome, hero." They murmured. I smiled a little at that. Being the savior of Olympus has some perks. After walking into the palace, I wandered for half an hour looking for my room. During the rebuilding of my dad's palace, he had them put in a bedroom for me so that I can stay over more often. But there hasn't been any time to visit. Seriously, I need a day off from all of this "saving people" work.

I collapsed on the bed and just stared at the ceiling. It's made of abalone shells, I think. My mind kept switching back and forth between topics while I lay there but one kept coming back. Annabeth. Still not sure what really happened and I was determined to find out.

**Short scene here. Hope you enjoyed it! And don't worry, this isn't going to be a Percabeth fanfic. Exams are coming up and I'm going to be studying alot. I'll try and have something up in February or end of January. **

**Oh my gosh, I have recently learned that there aren't nearly enough HaruhixTamaki or HaruhixHikaru fics for OHSHC. That might become my next project after this. **

**Thanks for all of the support!**

**Zoe**


	8. Chapter 8: Visitor

**I know it's been over a year, and I have no good excuse to make up for it. So, I'm eternally grateful if you're still following this story** **and want to know what happens. I really hope that y'all enjoy this chapter! I am really so sorry for the hiatus. **

The girl with long onyx hair spoke excitedly. "Is this the catalyst that you were telling me about? The one that will turn him towards our side?" Black eyes filled with hope met impossibly infinite ones before gazing into the mist that showed a certain son of Poseidon jumping into the Long Island Sound.

The man with the infinite eyes didn't say a word. He merely kept staring into the scene being played out with intensity. It was a while before he spoke. "Maybe...maybe not." He grinned mischieviously at the black eyed girl. They were both huddled around the mist that gave them the footage from Camp Half Blood in the small and dimly lit room. They sat in individual plush sofas and watched intently as Percy swam underneath the water to Poseidon's kingdom.

The girl turned her head to look at the man. "So, yes, then. For a millions of years old being, you really suck at keeping secrets." she remarked. She may have only been around him for a few years, but she could easily read the man, god, being. Whatever you wanted to call him.

He childishly pouted at the mist as a response. She smirked and stood up to exit the room. "I must return to my duties. I await your orders when the time comes." She didn't wait for him to answer and began walking out. The girl froze in the doorway of the room and her dark eyes widened.

"He's in here," were the only words she blurted out before everything faded to black.

Percy woke up dumbfounded and staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. There was no way that Bianca di Angelo was alive. He knew she was dead. They never found her body in that wreckage and if she'd been alive, wouldn't she have come back to camp? Not to mention that he'd seen her actual ghost or spirit when her younger brother Nico summoned her. But here, Bianca looked too real to be a ghost. Energy and life practically radiated off of her olive tone skin. And she looked like she'd grown older which should've been impossible. It must've been a really strange coincidence that this girl looked like the Hunter. He hoped. But Percy knew by now that in the life of a demigod, nothing is a coincidence.

The longer Percy tried to think about the girl's face, the blurrier it seemed in his mind until he was left doubting why he even considered it was Bianca. Percy remembered the pair watching him and wondered why they thought the scene would turn him to their side, whatever their side even was. He tried to think of what had happened just before he jumped into the water.

All at once, the events from the day before slammed into him full force leaving him choking. He covered his face with his hands and groaned loudly into the empty room. _Oh. _The son of Poseidon shut his eyes tightly praying to the gods that it was all some part of awful hallucination or nightmare. But clearly the gods were not on his side.

Still, Percy refused to accept that what had just happened was a reality. He had been hoping that his reunion with Annabeth would be a happy one. The rejection of his proposal didn't hurt as much as the look on her face when she forced him to leave. It was pure terror. He could deal with any relationship problems they had, as long as she was alright. No matter what, she was his best friend and nothing could change that fact.

Percy slowly sat up and felt energized. He forgot that he'd been staying in his father's domain. He felt powerful. He could accomplish anything if he put his mind to it and right now that problem was Annabeth's problem. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and made eye contact with a teenage girl leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

He didn't panic completely because he knew that there were probably guards outside his bedroom door who would barge in at the slightest indication of a disturbance. But still, he pulled out Riptide from his pocket and uncapped it. No matter what, strangers in your underwater bedroom aren't a good sign. The bronze sword unfolded to its full length and rested in his hands. "May I help you?" he asked the girl who was covered in black from head to toe. The only parts left uncovered were around her dark eyes and her hair which was in a silky braid. Everything else was left to the imagination.

"I'm here to see you, Perseus Jackson. Just to talk. I swear on the River Styx that I mean no harm towards you," thunder rumbled in the distance. Which was weird considering they were underwater. He relaxed a little at her words but stayed on guard. She stood up from her position and began to walk towards where he was sitting on the bed.

He rose to his feet and met her halfway. He had to look down a little to make eye contact with her since she only came up to his forehead. "And what is their to talk about? I don't even know who you are."

She gasped mockingly and put a hand to her chest, "Don't know who I am? I'm shocked, Jackson! I know it's been a while, but I had hoped you'd remember me. But I guess that's a conversation for another day. Right now, I'm here to see what you'll do. Your girlfriend refused your proposal yesterday, am I correct?" he nodded mutely, "And what are you going to do about that?"

Percy furrowed his eyebrows and pursed his lips in thought, a habit he'd picked up from Annabeth, "I'm not really sure yet. All I know is that I need to talk to her somehow and find out what happened after I left." As he talked he tried hard to place where he knew this girl from. Her voice sounded extremely familiar to him, and he could've sworn he'd seen that hair somewhere not that long ago…He was broken out of thought as she began to speak again.

"Okay, that's one option. Here's another, come with me and I'll tell you all that you want to know. We aren't enemies, Perseus. I'm on your side, all you have to do is choose." He opened his mouth to respond, but she cut in. "That choice doesn't necessarily have to be made right now. I will always be here. Take this," she handed him a strange coin with markings in a language he didn't recognize. _Annabeth would probably know, _he thought automatically and his heart throbbed with pain, "and when you remember my name, call for me like you do with an Iris Message. Until we meet again." She mock saluted him and he could tell that she was smirking from underneath that mask of hers. Then in a swirl of shadows, she was gone. Percy grinned in spite of himself and, if possible, was now even more confused.

He made sure the coin was safely tucked away into his pocket before doing anything else. Somehow, he had a feeling he'd be needing it very soon.

Percy didn't stay in the room for long. After the encounter with the girl, he decided he needed to get up and do something. He wandered around the underwater palace until he found his younger brother Tyson talking with some of the other cyclopes he used to work with in the forges.

"Brother!" Tyson cried and immediately enveloped Percy in a bone crushing hug. It was even worse than usual since Tyson was wearing armor. "Brother, what are you doing here? Are you here to see Daddy?" he asked and blinked his one calf eye.

"Ah, no big guy. I just came here to think some things out and hang out with you, of course." Tyson brightened even more at these words and excused himself from the other cyclopes by giving them a very enthusiastic wave before trailing after Percy. It wasn't often that Percy came down to his father's kingdom, so Tyson would always follow the demigod around when he did. He had been away an even longer time than usual due to the fact that he was away completing the Trials. Percy felt his blood boil at that thought. All that he did, all that he sacrificed, all that time wasted. Was it for nothing?

He shook his head to clear the thoughts away, he couldn't focus on that right now. It was in the past now and he couldn't change that even if he tried. He sighed resignedly and tried to listen to what Tyson was rambling about. They were walking down the open halls of the palace. Percy tried not to make eye contact with the merpeople swimming by because he still thought that some of them were pretty terrifying. But Tyson would say hello to each of them excitedly.

The pair eventually came to a stop at a massive courtyard covered in sea grass that swayed in the currents. Dozens of merpeople, nymphs, and other sea creatures were gathered and they all milled about talking with each other. It was a pleasant atmosphere if you didn't mind all the different types of animals swimming around and chattering with each other. It was almost enough to make Percy wince with a headache. But he managed to keep the grimace off of his face as they continued walking.

They arrived at a balcony that overlooked the reef. Percy sighed in contentment. This was one of his favorite places, aside from Camp Half-Blood. There wasn't any chatter, not even Tyson was saying a word, and the seaweed waved lazily in the water. Percy could feel himself calming down bit by bit as they stood there. It allowed him to think, for once. As he slumped over the rail, he thought of ways he could approach Annabeth. _Hey, so remember how you decided to break up with me after all these years and quests? Yeah, that really sucked. _He couldn't think of anything good so he decided to wing it when the time came. His best plans, and most stupid, were the ones he made up anyways.

"Brother, you do not look ok."

"What?" was Percy's genius reply. "What do you mean?"

Tyson frowned, "You don't look happy. Why aren't you happy?" Percy was startled by Tyson's comments. He didn't realize he looked any less happy than usual. He considered the last time he was completely and truly happy. The only thing he could think of was Annabeth which only made him feel more depressed.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, big guy. I'll be fine." he forced a smile onto his face and walked back into the castle knowing Tyson was trailing behind him.

Percy said his goodbyes to a very disappointed Tyson and headed back to the mainland where he knew everyone would be worried about him and asking questions. _Just what I needed, _he groaned internally, _Even _more _attention._ He walked through the water slowly, dreading the moment when someone would spot him. The camp was undoubtedly full with campers at the moment, it would be any second before he was found out.

He was still thinking of ways of trying to evade the campers as he stepped foot on the sand when he heard the horn signaling a battle. He silently cursed the gods as he ran the rest of the way towards what was waiting at the base of the hill.

**Thanks for reading! Leave a review of what you think, it helps a lot. **

**Zoe**


	9. Author's Note

Hey guys, I apologize for the wait. I'm sorry, but I won't be continuing this fic. I've lost motivation and direction for it so I won't be updating. With school in the way, I haven't been able to focus on writing and I can't even remember what I wanted to do with this fic anymore. So I decided to end it.

But I do have a solangelo fic and some stuff for Attack on Titan in the works! Thank you so much for all of your support over the years and I'm so sorry for not continuing.

Love,

Zoe


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